Water manager urges conservation

Black Butte Ranch began metering its water to all residents this month. A note in the most recent issue of Tollgate's Homeowners newsletter raised concerns about exceeding the subdivision's water permit.

Does all this indicate the area is running out of water?

Not really, according to Lynn Lounsbury, Distribution Water Manager for Tollgate.

Lounsbury is also Utilities Manager at Black Butte Ranch and the Distribution Manager of the Indian Meadow Water Company and he is considered to know as much about underground water in this area as anyone.

Tollgate, like all other water-using entities from an individual rancher or homeowner on a well, must have a permit from the State of Oregon Water Resources Department.

"Tollgate is nearing the maximum usage," he said. "The problem here is that with 38 lots -- approximately 10 percent of Tollgate -- still undeveloped, we could exceed our water rights unless we take other courses of action.

"The easiest and most obvious is conservation," said Lounsbury. "We try to do that with our plan for alternate days of lawn watering; half the area waters lawns on even days the other half on odd days. We are trying to do this now, but not too successfully."

Tollgate is not on water meters.

"Let me clear up an issue that seems to be confusing to people in Tollgate," Lounsbury said. "The work that started a couple of years ago, and will be finished this year, of installing 'backflow devices' has nothing to do with our usage of water. This is a quality question. Keeping our water clean and pure."

At Black Butte Ranch, on the other hand, metering of water actually commences this month.

"Several years ago, when Black Butte Ranch needed additional water rights from the state, a second application was filed," Lounsbury explained. "The first, original, stayed in effect and the second asked for another fixed amount, over and above the amount allowed in the first water rights permit.

"A condition of this second permit was the requirement that water

meters be installed in Black Butte Ranch," Lounsbury said. "Residents there went through three years of getting every home on-line with a meter. Water usage has been monitored over the past many months but not used in billing. Water usage was billed at a flat rate, as it now is in Tollgate."

That changes now.

"However, starting this month, for the first time, Black Butte Ranch

residents will be billed on their meter reading, the more water consumed, the higher their bill," Lounsbury said.

There are no immediate plans for water meters in Tollgate, but it could happen.

"Oregon Water Resources does have a lot of power over water consumption in Tollgate and could mandate meters unless we stay within our allotment," Lounsbury said.

Fortunately for residents, staying within the allotment should be fairly easy to do -- if people don't use water wastefully.

"It is a fact that Tollgate's permit limits the amount of water that can be used each year. It is not unlimited but is sufficient to allow everyone enough to meet all necessary needs. Unless the vast majority use water wastefully, Tollgate's limit won't be exceeded," Lounsbury said.

"As long as we are trying, really trying, to set up conservation standards and as long as we do not exceed our present water rights allocation -- and raise 'red flags' -- we probably will not be bothered by the state to put meters in Tollgate," he said.